Indoor gardening in a tiny city apartment is mostly a victory of hope over reality. The counter and windowsill real estate is just too scarce. That is why designers try to help us, urban folks, to build vertically and elevate our plants and our gardening spirit. This smart concept by Emanuela Stocco, called Orto Novo, is a soaring example. The system is comprised of interlocking modules that can make up a structure as high and wide as your space would allow. The planters, placed inside the loops, hold the system together. Made from powder coated aluminum, Orto Novo can come in a variety of colors.
Bluelounge is known for their innovative decluttering solutions. Here is a new little gizmo they made, called MiniDock. It is designed for docking your iPhone and iPod right into a wall socket. The device is compatible with your existing Apple USB power adapter (or any other USB adapter for that matter). Kind people of Bluelounge believe that it is a bad practice to leave our precious OMGiWant thing on the floor for docking, it may scratch (the disaster!) and pick up germs. This dock provides a compact and safe place for our shiny toy and eliminates clutter from cords. The piece is a great travel companion as well. Watch the video to learn more details about the device.
There is a lot to like about this clever storage unit/home office from Myfab. It has that cool vintage 70s feel to it, its fold-up desk can generate an instant workspace when needed, it can also be put away when the work is done (extra points for space-saving). And it’s orange! The piece is made from MDF with high gloss finish.
Mono dishwasher, designed by Daniel Simonini, is smaller than your average dish rack. Yet it can hold 4 plates, 4 glasses (or cups), and a set of flatware. Inspired by sea sponges, the piece has a smooth exterior and slick design that can agree with any space. But the best feature, in my opinion, is the fact that the pressurized water, used for cleaning the dishes, is also employed to power the device’s battery making it carbon-neutral. Perfect for an eco-friendly urban apartment.
This unusual lighting object, called Matt Lamp and designed by German studio llot llov, is covered in Angora and Merino wool cozy. It conceals the long cord and makes the lamp fluffy and adorable. Thanks to the amorphous structure of the object, it can be transformed into anything you wish and your space would allow – reading lamp, night light, chandelier, the options are endless. Cute!
http://vimeo.com/26166797
Koo is a combination of a baby bassinet and a rocking chair. The product is the latest creation of Lunar studio. It is designed to free young parents from buying too many items (which is the usual trap when the new baby is born). This beautiful and ergonomically correct bassinet turns into a chair by flipping down the seat. And when the baby overgrows this piece of furniture, it can be permanently upcycled to a stylish rocker. Clever and eco-conscious idea.
Milestone is a clever minimal storage solution for those of us who park bikes indoors. Designed by Japanese trio Mile, the piece is made of marble and comes in custom sizes. Each made-to-order cube is fitted perfectly to a specific bike. And when you are not using it, Milestone can be displayed as a nice sculptural object or simply stored away.
Here is a great example of dual function done right. The XY chair by Paris based designer Aïssa Logerot can be turned into a low table. And it can be done with one swift pivoting motion – no hustle or muscle required. The chair’s back becomes a tabletop and can hold drinks and appetizers in a party situation, cup of tea, books, and anything else you might need a surface for. The small size of XY makes it perfect for an urban setting.
People used mirrors and fake doors to create an illusion of bigger spaces since the dawn of time. Designer Sarah T. Kang suggests us to use both. Her clever mirror design, named Glimpse, creates effect of a door, leading to another room. The reflection and movement you might catch in the mirror completes the deception.
‘The door half opened always stirs up a sense of seduction and curiosity within us, – says Kang. – Inspired by these ordinary yet inexplicable moments in our daily lives, I designed a mirror that gives an illusion of a door opening on any given surface.’
Cordage clutter is the price we pay for cool gadgetry. But this nasty side of technical advancement doesn’t have to be so hideous. There are products out there, made specifically to help us take our wires and cords under control. This neat solution from Danish designer Søren Refsgaard is called Great Balls Of Wire (witty!) and designed to hold up to five feet of excess wire inside. Refsgaard explains: ‘I chose the round shape because it fits almost all interior surroundings — both lying on the floor and hanging from a table lamp on a shelf.’ His first prototype was made out of a tennis ball. In its current version the ball is 2.7-inch in diameter and comes in nine colors.
